Giving Fund: Cases 116-125

Published 10:40 pm, Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Following a tradition now in its fourth decade, The Advocate and Greenwich Time, in conjunction with Family Centers and Person-to-Person, are hosting the Giving Fund, which gives members of the community a chance to help neighbors in need.

Requests are collected through the agency's programs and published with details for residents who want to donate.

No. 116: Ms. M. is a single mom with three young girls under age 6. Ms. M. has suffered years of physical and emotional abuse. The father of the children recently left the house and has not been in contact. The family relied on him to support them financially. Ms. M. only works 10 hours a week and has been unable to find additional work. Ms. M. will not be able to pay rent soon and is at risk of becoming homeless. A gift of $800 will greatly help this family.

No. 117: Mrs. L. is a mother of two young girls under age 4. Mrs. L. has been living with her alcoholic husband for seven years. Over the past few months his drinking got worse after he received a health diagnosis. Mrs. L's husband has not disclosed what his illness is and has gone into a deep depression accompanied by excessive drinking. Mrs. L. can no longer depend on her husband for anything and therefore the small job she holds is not nearly enough to cover expenses. Mrs. L. fears she will have to find a homeless shelter soon. This family will benefit with a monetary gift of $800 to at least have something for an emergency.

No. 118: Ms. D. is a single mother of four. The family rents a room in a rooming house. She recently lost her job due to lack of transportation. She found a new job in a factory in Yonkers, N.Y. She takes the train every day at 6:30 a.m., and walks to the factory. Because she starts her work so early she has to pay a baby-sitter to take her children to school. She earns a minimum salary and is not able to cover family expenses. A gift of $800 will greatly help cover those extra expenses.

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No. 119: Joan is an older woman who has been living for many years on a disability allowance. She has five grown children and four grandchildren. Of those children, four are at various times dependent on her. Three of her grandchildren are living in a shelter with their mother, who has recently had two diabetic comas, leaving the children while she was hospitalized. A donation of $800 would go a long way to helping her.

No. 120: Ginny is a typical 15-year-old girl. She loves music and hanging out with friends. You would never know by looking at her that her life expectancy is less than five years. Ginny would love to learn to play guitar. A gift of $400 would help Ginny buy a guitar, music and equipment so she can start on her musical journey.

No. 121: Arnold is a single father who has multiple life threatening medical issues, which makes it impossible to work. In spite of his limitations, he rings bells for the Salvation Army. Unfortunately, his hours have been cut back this year. Arnold has no bottom teeth, because he cannot afford the $800 for dental work. What little money he receives he spends on his 9-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter. Receiving funds to get this dental work done would be a surprise and joy for a man who constantly puts his own needs last.

No. 122: Eva is a senior at Stamford High School. She is a hard-working, determined young woman who does well at school and wants to go to college. She is especially good at math and would like to be an engineer or architect. This past year has been very difficult for her with family conflicts and her father's remarriage. Though her stepmother is trying to take the place of her own mother, there has been a lot of family turmoil with Eva caught in the middle. She is determined to finish high school and go on to City College for her degree. Eva is worried she will have no one to rely on to help her get started at college. She knows she will need is a laptop and printer for her school work. A gift of $700 would help this deserving young woman to keep aiming for her dreams.

No. 123: Kyra is a junior in high school with a lot of responsibilities. She was told to move out of her house when she turned 18, and moved in with a friend. She is juggling a job, school work and the awkwardness of relying on another family for a place to stay. She would like to be able to contribute more to the people who have taken her in. A gift of $200 would allow Kyra to purchase groceries and make her feel she is contributing more to the family who has taken her in.

No. 124: Jack is a tall, lanky young man with wild hair and a goofy grin. He lives with his mom in a part of town that sees a lot of crime. He has been a victim of a break-in, a bike theft, and an assault that landed him in the hospital. He also gets teased at school because he doesn't have presentable clothes to wear because his mom doesn't have the money. A gift of $200 would allow Jack to purchase some clothes and give him the confidence boost he needs.

No. 125: Annie is a 21-year-old single mom, victim of domestic violence perpetrated by her daughter's father. She is homeless and staying with strangers from whom she is renting a room at great cost. She is unable to work because she is the sole support and caretaker of her daughter. Annie is struggling with depression and anxiety concerning her financial situation. She would like to find any kind of work to get back on her feet, but this is impossible without child care and family to help. A donation of $600 will help pay for her rent so she does not find herself and her daughter homeless during the winter months.